Mail-sack catching and delivering apparatus.



PATENTED FEB. 5, 1907.

M. D. CUMMINGS.

MAIL SACK GATOHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILEDAPR. 2, 1906.

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MAIL SACK GATGHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2, 1906.

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MAIL SACK CATOHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 2. 1906.

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MAlL-SACK CATCHING AND DELIVERENG APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 5,1907.

Application filed April 2, 1906' Serial N0. 309,273-

To all whom it may concern.- 7 Be it known that I, MONTRAVILL D. CUM- MINGS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail Sack Catching and Delivering Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The'chief object of the present invention is to provide in mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus an improved track-crane, whereby the shock to the delivered bag is largely relieved and as a consequence the integrity of the contents of the bag more certainly safeguarded; but the invention also has for its object to make other important improvements invarious details of mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus, whereby its functions are more certainly and safely performed;

The invention consists in the construc' way-car at its doorway with abagcatcher Fig. 2 shows crane or arm applied thereto. a top plan view with parts in section. Fig. 3

is a detail showin in edge view the extended support for stead ying the lower end of the mail-bag when carried by the car-crane. Fig. 4 is a similar view of the same folded within the car. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the track-crane depicting in full lines the crane-arm in erect bag-supporting position and iri broken lines prostrate afterthedelivery of a sack to it. Fig. 6 is an edge elevation of the track-crane looking at the lefthand side, as shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 6 is a detail of the latch for latching the trackcrane catcher-arm. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on' the line y y, Fig. 5, looking down. Fig. 8 isa horizontal section on the line 2 2 looking down. Fig. 9 is a detail in side view of the bag-supporting end of the car-crane arm. Fig. 10 is an end view of the same. Fig-11 is a view of an improved bag-holder.

In the several views, 1 designates the car,

which moves along the track as usual, At each side of the car-door is a bracket, and in the proper one of these (according to the direction in which the car is to move) is secured the car-crane or catcher-arm. Coiled springs 3 engaging the base of the ;arm and .the bracket, tend to throw the crane-arm inward. Sliding on the portion 3 of the cranearm is a clip 4, having hingedly attached to a-.6 5

pin 4* therein a rod 4 reaching inward toward the car-doorway and provided with a T-shaped end 4, constituting also a handle by which the said rod and car-crane arm can be manipulated. The rod 4* passes through the slot of a horizontal bar 5, extendin across the car-door, and this baris provided with a pivoted hook 5 near the side of the doorway, adapted to engage the T-shaped end or handle' i to latch the car-crane arm in its outer or operative position and against the tension of the springs 3 The clip 4 is held yieldingly outward by means of a coiled spring 3 The function of the coiled spring 3 is to cushion the impact of the sack when it is taken off the track apparatus by the carcrane arm.

6 is a'hook to retain the sack-holding ring or device when it is by the momentum of the car broughtto that point on the car-crane.

The sack-support at the outer end of the car-crane arm comprises a swiveled sleeve 7, (seeFigs. 9 and 10,) upon which is cast or formed a small under-reaching hook 7 and a spring-acutated latching member 7". j ecting laterally from each side'of the hook 7 are fingers 7 pivoted thereto so as to be yielding, said fingers being concaved or troughed on their upper sides to receive and Pro- 0 hold in a spread-out or open condition the sack-suspending ring or loop with which the sack is directly connected. The sack-sus pending ring is held spread out-so that it may be surely caught by t e sack-catching arm of the track apparatus, even if the car happen to have an extraordinary swaying motion as it passes the apparatus.

The car apparatus thus far described resembles that illustrated in an application for patent of the United States filed by me February 26, 1906, Serial No. 303,020. e

To prevent the mail-sack from swaying independently of the motion of the car,

now provide a device comprising a yoke-like mem way, and a rod 8, hinged to said member 8, said rod 8 having at its end a spring-clip 8 er 8, hinged to the sill of the car-door- -1 1o pivoted so as to swin horizontally. The members 8 and 8 can e folded at t'hejoint between them, so as to be placed back into the car, as seen in Fig. 4; but I provide a crosspin 8 to preventsaid joint from breaking downward when the arm is extended in sacksteadying position, as seen in Fig. 3. In practice the usual ring on the end of the sack is en aged with the clip 8*, and when the sack is ta en from the car-crane by the trackcrane arm, as hereinafter described, the ring readily pulls out of the clip.

Referring now to the sack-catching device at the side of the track, the character 9 designates a crane-arm or standard pivoted at its lower end to a suitable base, as seen at 9*.

At its upper end the crane-arm extends inward toward the railroad-track and carries a horizontally-pivoted reversible member 10, having two cli s 10" for receiving and holding distended t 1e sack-holding ring, substantially as described in my aforesaid application for patent Pivoted on the upper end of the standard 9 is an arm 11 to catch the sack carried by the approaching train. This sack-catching arm 11 is ivoted on a bolt, preferably armored wit a piece of rubber tubing 11 to afford a cushion for the sack caught. Said sack-catching arm can be reversed in position to catch a. sack from a train approaching from the opposite direction. To latchthe arm 1 1 in eit er of its operative positions, its base next the standard is provided with opposite extensions 11*, adapted to be engaged y a clip 11, engaging but sliding on the standard, said clip being rovided in the instance shown wit a note ada ted to fit on one of the extensions 11, and t erefore latch the arm in proper osition. This arm is so located that it wil reach through the ring carrying the sack on the car and at the same time permit the car-crane arm to pass through the corresponding ring of the sack carried by the track-crane.

12 designates a stationary platform having ladder approaches to permit the station-man to mount thereon to roperly adjust or to place the mail-sack to e taken by the train; The side of the platform is furnished at its edge with an upwardly-curved rail 12 provided with a notch near its middle, and sliding on the standard 9 is a latching-clip 13, having its lower edge pointed or inclined to engage the notch of said rail. The beveled oint of the'clip 13 will to some extent reieve the violence of the shock occasioned by the impact of the sack delivered to the trackcrane standard, but to further relieve this violence and to permit the gradual precipitation of the standard and sack to the ground and to a point where the sack shall be within convenient reach of the station-man Iprovidea pneumatic cushioning device comprising generally a cylinder 14, removably pivoted on a comparatively slowly.

eraser lug 14 to the base and a piston 15 therein having its rod 15 hinged to the standard. The cylinder 14 is, open at its lower end, but is provided with only a small vent 143" at its upper end, so that the air can escape only When the sack of the car is caught on the arm 1 1, the latching-clip '13 is thrown out of the notch of the rail 12*,

after which gravity precipitates the standard to the position indicated by broken lines, Fig. 5. This precipitation, however, is comparatively slow and easy, because, as before indicated, of the resistance offered by the slowlyescaping air from the upper portion of the cylinder 14.

The sack-holder in the present instance comprises, as shown in Fig; 11, a ring 16,

preferably of stiff leather or of small layers thereof, two straps 16 movably attached thereto, and a cross strap 16, having suitable buckles at 'its opposite ends for attachment with the two straps 16. When the sack is secured within the opening formed by the ring, the two straps 16*, and the cross-strap 16', the upper ends of the straps 16, because of their loose connection with the ring, are spread apart and assist in distending the ring, so that the catcher-arm both of the car and track-crane is more certain to pass into it.

In operation the takingand delivery of the sacks is practically simultaneous. When the sack on the track-crane is taken by the car-crane arm, said sack by reason of its in ertia slips back on the armand under the hook 6, where it is caught and held; but the inertia ofthe sack also pulls said arm outvWard and the hook 5 from engagement with the handle or cross-piece 4, whereupon the tension of the springs3 moves the arm inwardly toward the car-door, and therefore within easy reach of the mail clerk in thecar,

as set forth in my aforesaid application forpatent. As hereinbefore indicated, the momentum of the delivered sack upon the standard 9 throws said standard down, and

after the sack has been removed the standard 1. In a mail-sack-izatching apparatus, the.

combination with a ,car provided with a sack-delivering arm, of means for removably suspending the sack, and means extending from the car for holding the lower portion of the sack to keep it from swaying mdependently of the car.

2. In a ,mail-sack-catching apparatus, the

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' vided at its free end with a clip to engage the "and means} for preventing the violent precipicombination with a car provided with a sack-delivering arm, of means for removably suspending the sack, and means for holding the lower portion of the sack to keep the sack from swaying independentlyof the car comprisin an arm hinged to the car and provided at its 'ee end with a clip to engage the sack.

3. In a mail-sack-catching apparatus, the combination with a car provided with a sackdelivering arm, of means for removably suspending the sack, and means for holding the lower portion of the sack to keep it from swaying independently of the car, comprising a foldable arm hinged to the car and prosack.

4. In a mail-sack-catching apparatus, the. combination with a car provided with a sackdelivering arm, of means for removably suspending the sack, and means for holding the lower portion of the sack to keep it from swaying independently of the car, comprising an arm hinged to the car and provided at its free end with a clip movable on the arm.

5. In a mail-sack-catching apparatus, the combination of a track-crane including a pivoted standard, means for latching the standard in upright position and means for pneumatically cushioning the standard against the impact of a sack delivered to said crane.

6. In a mail-sack-catching apparatus, the combination of a trackcrane including a ivoted standard adapted to be precipitate of pneumatic means for preventing the violent precipitation of said standard.

7. In a m ail-sack-catching apparatus, thecombination of a track-crane including a pivoted standard ada ted to be precipitated, means for yieldingy latching the same in erect position and means for pneumatically preventing the violent precipitation of said standard.

8. In a mail-sack-catching apparatus, the combination of a track-craneincluding a pivoted standard, means for yieldingly latching the same in erect position, and means for; pneumatically cushioning the standard against the impact of a sack delivered to said crane.

4 9. In a mail-sack-catching apparatus, the combination of a track-crane including a pivoted standard adapted to be precipitated,

tation of said standard com rising a cylinder 14 pivoted near the standard, a piston in said cylinder, and a rod connecting said piston and standard, said piston being provided with a small vent onl at its upper end, substantially as describe 10.. In a mail-sack-catching apparatus, the combination with a standard, of a sackcatching device reversibly mounted thereon and a short arm procomprising a long arm jecting laterally from said long arm, and means secured to the standard for engaging said short arm to maintain the catching device insack-catching position.

11. In a mail-sack-catehing apparatus, the I combination with a standard, of a sackcatching device reversibly mounted thereon.

comprising a long arm and a shortarm rojecting laterally on either side *of the ong arm adjacent its connection with the standard, and a clip slidably secured to thestandard and adapted to engage the said projections to hold the catching device in either of its reversible positions.

12. In a mail-sack-catching apparatus, a mail-sack-holding device comprising a ring,

-two straps loosely connected therewith, and

a cross-strap connecting the two loose straps.

13. Ina mail-sack-catching apparatus, a

mail-sack-holding device comprlsing a ring,

two straps loosely connected therewith, and

an adjustable cross-strap connecting the two loosely-connected straps.

14. In a mail-sack-catching apparatus, the

combination of a tra oted standard a'da I stationary art ad acent said stan and a latch sli ing on said standard, said latch k-crane including a having an inclined end to engage the station ary part adjacent said standard.

15. In a mail-sack-catching apparatus, the combination with the car-crane arm, a hook for receiving a sack-holding ring or loop and from w 'ch a sack may be drawn by a trackcrane arm, said hook provided with yielding means for spreading said ring or loop beyond the opposite sides of thehook.

givv pted to be precipitate a ard, 9o

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In testimony whereof I aflixmysignature in presence of two witnesses.

MONTRAVILL D. CUMMINGS. Witnesses: OLIN J. Ross,

GEO. M. FINCKEL. 

